Abnormal to Zero
by Denaliyasha
Summary: Z was for zero, because there were that many people better suited for each other, and that was that. A set of 26 DannyLindsay shorts, one for each letter of the alphabet.
1. A

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: My intention is to do a series of DannyLindsay drabbles, 26 of them, spanning the alphabet. Problem is, I don't have words for all of the letters. Anyone who wants to contribute, it'd be greatly appreciated, though I guarantee nothing, and I need the more uncommon ones.

Anyone else squeal over the episode Not What It Looks Like? And the ad for next week! I can't wait...

**Abnormal**

They had such a weird relationship these days. One minute they were bantering flirtatiously, the next he was being overprotective and she was clinging to him for dear life. He could barely describe the way he'd felt when he'd realized that they knew she wasn't who she was pretending to be. That wasn't normal, not for Danny Messer.

No, sir. He was a brief affair kinda guy. He didn't form lasting attachments, didn't get worried for a cop who knew what she was doing, didn't fall for an accent and a Daisy Duke smile. Didn't act like an alpha male, didn't lose his control at a crime scene. He was a ladies' man, not a player, but a true admirer of all things female, and yet his Montana had grabbed hold of his heart and his soul and was showing no signs of letting go. It was the cheesiest thing he'd ever thought, but there it was.

They had such a weird relationship... maybe it was time to do something about making it more stable.


	2. B

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Thanks for reviewing. I still need words for later letters. Drop me a review, ok?

**Blindfold**

It was like she was in a room full of danger and she couldn't see. That was the way Danny Messer made her feel. She knew on some level that he was hazardous to her sanity, libido, and her heart. He was exactly the sort of person her mother had always warned her about, the kind that would take and break her heart without even a thought of what he was doing.

Somehow, being within a hundred yards of Danny made her forget all that. She was sure that he would go into a casual relatioship without bothering to find out if the woman was on the same page as he was, and that could lead him to unintentionally hurt her. She trusted him about as far as she could throw him, relationship wise, but with her life everywhere else. How was that for confusing feelings?

Then there was the whole fact that when she WASN'T around him, she could give a detailed, ten point list of the reasons they'd never work out. She could come up with all the things that she hated about him, all the things he did that drove her nuts. And then he'd show up and smile that cocky grin at her and it was like that little voice was gagged. And blindfolded. And hidden in a dark closet somewhere. And then she could tell you a ten point list of why she wanted to jump him. And how good they could be together. The confusion was agonizing... but it was also addicting. She'd never be free of Danny Messer, and she was never quite sure she wanted to be.


	3. C

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Still need words. The first two of these were serious, and not my best work. I tried for a lighter, humor tone on this one, and I hope you enjoy it. Review, please.

**Cook**

He'd never seen her cook before, hadn't known that she could. To be fair to him, the first time they'd really done anything remotely date-like, they'd been eating bugs, which didn't say much for her taste in food. So it wasn't really THAT far out to think that when she offered to make him dinner, he showed up with a Chinese takeout menu folded in an inside pocket of his jacket.

Of course, it turned out that she was an amazing cook. She'd made something with a name that made him laugh (something Alaskan that she'd picked up from a friend back in Montana) and he'd made her promise not to tell him what was in it. He made her laugh with stories of some of the interesting people he'd met on the job and she told him about the weirder crimes that happen in rural Montana.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening. Until he asked her to grab something out of his coat.

It took a LOT of convincing to make her let him spend the night after that.


	4. D

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: D is for thank you. Well, ok, it is in some language... not sure which one. However, I offer my sincerest thanks for all the great reviews. Someone gave me a great idea for K, but I still need U and everything after V. Any suggestions?

**Disguise**

Halloween was the weirdest day of the year when you worked at the crime lab. Lab techs, by definition, were geeks. That means that the one day a year they could come to work dressed up as someone or something else, they took full advantage of the opportunity. Animals and characters from obscure literature handed results to great scientists of times past.

Even Mac and Stella got into the spirit, showing up as a cop (we didn't say he had much of an imagination) and an angel, respectively. When Danny showed up to work, he realized that he wasn't as out of place as he'd thought he was going to be. His outfit was actually tame, compared to most of them.

"Oh, for the..." Her exasperated tone had him spinning around. When he saw her costume, his mouth twitched into a grin.

"Great minds think alike."

She rolled her eyes. "You wish your mind was as great as mine, Messer."

She flounced past him in her blue checked dress. The straw in his sleeves rustled as he spun to watch her.


	5. E

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. For the record, the first line of this story is sacred at my high school. RIENG is on the sweatshirts our football team wears, because it was the favorite saying of our football coach, who was a wonderful man and died a few years ago way before his time.

I thought I'd just make it clear that these are not connected unless otherwise specified. These are one-shots, unless I say so.

**Earned**

Respect is earned, not given. She remembered her brother's high school football coach who had drilled that into their heads. It was something she'd picked up on, agreed with, and tried to live her life by. She had worked hard to prove herself as a crime scene investigator in Montana, and had done the same in New York.

The one fly in her ointment was Danny Messer. He would smirk at her with that misleadingly innocent face and those gorgeous eyes and call her "Montana" in that condescending tone...

That's why she was waiting for him outside the lab when he got off shift.

"What's up, Montana?"

"Do you think I'm incompetent?"

"What?" He looked honestly confused, which just annoyed her more.

"You're treating me like I don't know what I'm doing! It's ridiculous!"

"Hold up, Montana. I don't know what you think, but I know you're just as good at your job as any of the rest of us. What's this about?"

She rubbed at her temples. "You don't take me seriously. You smirk and you call me 'Montana' and you act like I'm supposed to hide behind you because you're the man and the man does the protecting."

"When did I act like that?" He was getting angry; she could hear it in his voice.

"When I went undercover during that diamond case."

He sighed, the anger that had been building just draining out of him. "Look, am I not allowed to want you to be safe?"

He looked so forlorn that she stepped forward and rested her head against his chest. "Danny, we agreed that this thing wouldn't affect us at work. You can't treat me differently than you treat anyone else."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as he could without crushing her. "It's so damn hard, though."

"I know."

"Why did we ever think we'd be able to?"

She smiled against his coat. "Because we're idiots."

He laughed, sliding one arm around her shoulder as they started to walk. "Baby, you must be spending too much time with me, then."

She pulled him down for a brief kiss before wrapping her arm around his waist. "You want me to stop?"

His answer was quick, loud, and unprintable enough to make her grin widely. Yep, that was Danny... no respect whatsoever.


	6. F

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews.

**Full**

The world was full of undeniable truths. Two and two always equaled four (unless you lived in 1984, and then you had bigger problems). A rock dropped always fell towards the earth, always in the straightest line possible. The rain fell from the sky and evaporated to it again, and Danny Messer was addicted to Lindsay Monroe.

He denied it. On a regular basis, in fact. It seemed that he spent more time telling people he wasn't stuck on her than he did actually working, some days. Mac, Stella, Sid, Flack... everyone. They all had to offer up their opinions on how much of an idiot he was for not asking her out.

So one day, he got sick of it. And he bet Flack that she wouldn't agree to go out with him. He should have remembered his own words: "Never bet against a country girl."

She'd said yes, even though she was looking at him like he was nuts. And even though they felt very, very awkward at times, she still invited him in for coffee afterwards. And even though she didn't like the way he drove, she still let him drive her to work the next morning.

Yes, the world was full of things that were always true.


	7. G

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Review, please.

**Grip**

"Danny, if you don't let me go, I'm going to have to hurt you." She twisted her head around to glare at him. They were reenacting a crime scene, and Lindsay had gotten stuck playing the victim (over her protestations). In her opinion, Danny was having way too much fun holding her hands behind her back.

"But this is the way it worked, Montana."

She frowned, head tilted completely back against his shoulder to give him the full effect of her death glare. "Well, now that we know that, you can let go of me."

With a quick glance to see that there was nobody else around, Danny grinned down at her. "I dunno, Montana. You feel pretty damn good right here."

"Danny..." She sighed and rolled her eyes, jerking her wrists suddenly and overbalancing them both. She landed on him, and, while he was still surprised, turned over and pinned his arms at his sides. She straddled his chest and glared down at him. "I thought we discussed this. No innuendo or PDAs in the lab."

"Aww, but where's the fun in that?" He blinked those innocent blue eyes up at her.

"I know, I know, you poor deprived child."

"I'm not a child!"

She leaned down and kissed him lightly on the lips before standing up. "Of course not, honey. Now come on, we have to nail this guy."


	8. H

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

A/N: Just in time for halloween. Sort of. I'm going to be out of town for a while (I'm going to a regional choir thingy, go me!) and I have an almost 24 hour ferry ride, so I think I'll get at least one more of these done.

**Horror**

He was willing to admit, in some small corner of his mind, that he had an ulterior motive to this particular date. Not that he needed one to spend time with Lindsay; he couldn't get enough of her. Everything about her made him want to smile: her hair, her eyes, her grin, her sense of humor... and the way she clung to him whenever the bloody knife-wielding murder appeared onscreen.

It was an interesting contrast, really. She sat there, pointing out who was going to die and how, mocking the girls who crept around the house half dressed ("They're always the first to die. If they put clothes on, they'd be fine!") and yet, whenever the killer showed up, she burrowed into his side and squealed cutely into his neck. Yes, there was definitely an ulterior motive... man, but he loved Halloween.


	9. I

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: So they tantalized us with Love Run Cold and the whole Suicide Girls thing... and then they just kinda stop putting them together. And that bothers me. So I write.

**Invasion**

Guys are inherently stupid about some things, but his method of asking her to move in with him took the cake. Hell, it took the whole bakery.

"Look, Montana, your stuff is kinda invading my apartment. You should just, you know, start staying."

He was totally proud of himself... until he saw the absolutely stunned expression on her face.

"Lindsay?"

"What is wrong with you?" Her accent, which had been fading over the past several months, popped back into full prominence, a sign of temper.

"What?"

She gaped at him. "That has got to be the least romantic way you could have said it!"

"I wasn't trying for romance!"

"Danny, that's essential here." She planted her hands on her hips and took on a lecturing tone. "You don't ask someone to move in because their stuff is everywhere, you ask them to move in because you want them there."

They stared at each other for a minute, eyes locked. Finally, he blurted out, "I love you. Move in with me, please?"

"See?" She kissed him soundly. "Romance works."


	10. J

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Yes, I know it's canon... but still. I want to see it, darn it! So yah, here's my tenth chapter, and I'm loving that you guys review all of these. I now have all the letters covered, thanks to all of you who gave me suggestions. I'm going to start putting the next word at the bottom of each chapter, just so you have an idea. The more you review, the more I update!

**Jury**

Did she love him? The jury was still out on that one.

She was on break, sitting in the lab watching him pore over some piece of evidence from his case. His looks were definitely a point in his favor: she'd always been a sucker for that kinda scruffy look. And the glasses made him look just a little like a geek... and she'd had a thing for the captain of the high school chess team.

His personality was pretty darn great, too. He had an interesting moral compass, different from most but highly rigid and he followed it to the letter. He worked hard for justice, and he was loyal, intelligent, and brilliant. Plus, there was a certain... lack of polish about him. It was the New York equivalent of being from Montana, and she felt comfortable around him.

And then he looked up and caught her watching. Those beautiful eyes fixed on hers and even through four panes of glass she could see the purely male approval in them. He winked, blew her a kiss (thank goodness there was nobody in the hallway) and went back to work.

That settled it. Verdict returned.


	11. K

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: I said I would, then I didn't tell you what this word was. Now it's obvious... Thanks to whoever suggested this one... I forget who, and I owe you big cause it was SO fun to write. Review, please. I'm hoping for a hundred reviews after the next chapter or two... make my day, ok?

**Killer**

She looked up at him with such a serious face. "I'm a killer, Danny."

"Montana, what are you on about?" She was sitting on the floor of his apartment (their apartment, now... remembering that always made him grin) with a potted plant in her lap. It looked a bit... well, sick.

"I killed the plant. If I can't keep a plant alive, what about a relationship?" He would have laughed except she seemed so serious.

"I think you watched 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' one too many times, Lindsay." He crouched in front of her. "That's an African Violet, right?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

"My mom had one of those once. Apparantly to stay healthy, they need all sorts of extra crap in their water." He gently lifted the pot and set it aside, then pulled her into a hug. "We can get some. It's as simple as that, ok, sweetheart?"

"Ok." She sighed into his shoulder, then whacked him lightly on the arm. "And the only reason I've watched that movie so many times is that _someone _keeps renting it."

"Quiet, Montana, I have a reputation to uphold."

A/N: The next word will be Lung. I give you time to ponder how I'm gonna make that work. :)


	12. L

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Here you go.

**Lung**

"I swear, it's like he walks into the room and it's hard to breathe." The lab tech put a hand to her brow and sighed dramatically. "God, he's so hot!"

Lindsay paused in the hallway as the woman's friend replied, "Oh, I know. The eyes and the accent... you just want to swoon or something equally old fashioned and silly. I mean, he gives bad boys a good name."

The conversation continued in this veign for several more minutes; Linsay was too fascinated to move away. She was so engrossed in listening that the loud, "Montana!" behind her made her jump. She was suddenly very aware that the two women she'd been eavesdropping on had gone silent, watching Danny walk towards her.

"Don't call me Montana."

"I rather like it." He grinned cheekily at her. "When are you gonna go out with me?"

She blinked, unprepared for the question. "What?"

"You heard me, Montana."

She narrowed her eyes, ready to refuse him for the nickname alone, when she remembered the discussion she'd listened in on. "Tomorrow. Pick me up at seven. Find a place that serves decent food, and you might even get a second date."

She turned on her heel and walked off, enjoying the stunned look on his face. She paused, almost around a corner. "And Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"I was taught that certain things don't happen on first dates. They never said anything about the second."

She heard his exhale of, "Damn," as she dissolved into laughter, heading off to look for Stella so she'd have someone to tell about this.

A/N: Next word is match.


	13. M

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Yay! Snow day! Which, since I live in Alaska, really means something. I mean, there are some places where it doesn't even go by snow, they let school out -40 degrees. Fun, huh?

**Match**

Their personalities often seemed as different and as dangerous as a match and sandpaper. She was the match: sleek, innocent looking with a hint of danger, like she might not get your jokes but she'd be willing to act on them. He was sandpaper: rough, especially around the edges, and purposeful.

They didn't fight often, but when they did it was legendary. People took fifteen minute detours to get around them, and even Mac gave up trying to break it up. Luckily, the altercations never lasted long. A few minutes, generally ending in Lindsay apologizing profusely and Danny trying to convince her that it was just as much his fault..

When Flack asked him once why he never seemed upset about all of the horrible things she'd said to him, he just replied, "You know pregnant women. I consider this practice for when she goes into labor."

A/N: Next word is Newton.


	14. N

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Sorry for the wait. I got bored in physics and wrote several chapters. However, since I couldn't remember all the words and I am posting these in alphabetical order, that will not speed up this update time. Sorry.

**Newton**

A force is an interaction between two objects. As a CSI, he knew that. It was Newton's law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. He'd never truly understood that until he'd met Lindsay.

At first, he'd pushed and she'd pushed back: a professional rivalry, a personal one. He liked to goof around and thought she should lighten up a bit. She took her work seriously and thought he didn't. Plus, it was habit to tease the new kid.

Then, suddenly, it had been that when she smiled, his heart twisted, and he couldn't help but smile back. He didn't trust the feeling, told himself it could never last or go anywhere, and yet... every time she walked into the room he felt something give a little inside his chest.

Their relationship was inevitable, and he gave up trying to count the forces. When he kissed her, she kissed him back. When he held out his hand, she took it. When he was upset, she soothed. When she was tired, he made sure she slept. And through it all, he couldn't help but think... Newton was probably the smartest man in the universe.

A/N: The next word is Open.


	15. O

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Sorry about the delay. I've been... overworked, to say the least. There was this whole thing with working my cousin's booth at the Public Market, a once a year three day thing that draws people from all over the region. And lots of school. And I made my school musical, so I've got lots of rehearsals for that. So yeah, sorry about the delay.

****

Open

She'd gotten herself into this, eyes wide open. She'd known exactly what sort of person he was when she'd agreed to go out with him the first time, and when she'd slept with him, and when she'd moved in with him.

Which is why she was counseling herself for patience right now.

"I don't see the problem with this!"

"That doesn't mean there isn't one, Danny."

"But... but..." He seemed to be completely at a loss for words. "Linds, you know I love you!"

"Yes, I do." She fought to keep her voice calm. "I love you too."

"Then why don't you want to marry me?" He shook her gently. "You aren't making any sense!"

"I don't want you to marry me just because I'm pregnant. I think if people are going to get married, they should do it because they WANT to be married, not because one of them feels they have to."

"Lindsay..." He sighed and hugged her. "I really want to marry you. I mean, I was sorta leading up to it. Woulda taken me a few more months, but I'd have gotten there eventually."

"Really?" She smiled into his shoulder.

"Really. I even considered buying you a ring, you know."

"What stopped you?"

He blushed. "I figured you'd like it better if you could get one for yourself."

"Damn, Messer." She whacked his shoulder lightly and pulled him down for a kiss. "You're a _really_ good boyfriend."

"Fiancé." He smiled against her lips.

"Whatever."

A/N: Next word is prison.


	16. P

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: I have a feeling that some of you guys are getting a bit bored, because I'm running out of situations. So now, if you have any ideas for the next word, let me know (by PM please), because I want to keep you people smiling. And I still don't have a Y word.

**Prison**

Prison was a good metaphor for their relationship.

The first time she'd seen him, they'd been surrounded by bars. She'd been captivated by his smile, even when she'd wanted to whack him upside the head with something heavy for making her look stupid. Lindsay supposed she should have realized on some level that she was never going to get away from this rough-around-the-edges, crazy, incredible man.

Then he'd come up with that ridiculous nickname. "Montana..." She didn't think anyone else could make the name of her state sound quite so suggestive and affectionate at the same time. Every time she heard it, it was another bar falling into place, holding her to him.

And now, she was completely and utterly locked up, his forever, a life sentence. Her eyes flicked downwards, away from his, to the thin gold band he was sliding onto her finger. In a few seconds, she'd be returning the favor... and she intended to throw away the key. He wasn't getting away from her, ever.

"I, Lindsay Monroe..."

A/N: The next word is Quality.


	17. Q

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Ok, college applications done. Now I can write. Except my muse has been weirdly quiet...

**Quality**

"You're wrong," Lindsay said flatly.

Danny tilted his head to one side. "How am I wrong?"

"Danny, saying quality over quantity is like... like... like saying size doesn't matter!" There was a triumphant grin on her face, pride in having found the perfect comparison.

"But it doesn't." A smile was beginning to tug at the corner of his mouth.

"Danny, I could have the biggest dollar bill in the world and I'm betting it'd still be only worth a buck."

"But you could sell it on eBay for a lot more," he pointed out.

"Hmmm..." She frowned a bit. "Aha! I got it!"

"Waiting, Montana." He looked at her expectantly.

"Well, Danny... if you weren't so damn good at it, your size wouldn't mean anything."

He choked, and she dissolved into giggles. That made him lunge at her, knocking her onto their couch. "You little..." He started tickling her mercilessly.

Amid the hysterical laughter she couldn't control, she managed to gasp out, "I meant handball, Danny! Mind out of the gutter!"

A/N: Next word is reach.


	18. R

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I need inspiration..

**Reach**

"Come on, Danny! Reach for it!" Her cheeky tone prompted him to look down over his shoulder, though even as she smiled up at him he wished he hadn't.

"Linds, heights are not my thing." He tried to solidify his grip on the rough fake rock he was holding onto for dear life. Equipment aside, Lindsay didn't seem strong enough to catch him if he were to fall.

Her smile faded. "Why're you on a climbing wall, then?"

"You were so enthusiastic. I couldn't say no." He hated that the guilty look sliding across her face was his fault. He called down, "It's fine. I'll be fine. I just think I'll come down now."

A sudden, speculative look crossed her face. "Danny, if you'll climb the last six feet to the top, I'll marry you!"

He almost fell off the wall. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," came the cheerful reply.

He didn't even notice that everyone else at the climbing wall was suddenly looking at them. He just put out a hand and reached for the next rock.

A/N: The next word is subtle.


	19. S

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter, hope you like this one.

**Subtle**

"Look, I'm just saying..." Mac's eyes closed briefly, as though he were searching for patience on the back of his eyelids. "As long as it doesn't affect your work, it should be fine."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mac." It was the second time Danny had said this, and it sounded more beligerent this time.

"Danny, I'm not blind, and the way you look at each other isn't exactly subtle." He paused. "Although, to be honest, she's better at it than you are. You look at her like she's the only thing in the world worth attention, and she looks back the same way... in a much less stalker-ish, obvious way. As long as it doesn't interfere with your ability to work together, it's fine with me if you wish to pursue a relationship."

Danny eyed him as though he were waiting for the other shoe to drop, and he sighed inwardly. "Honest, Mac? You're not yanking my chain, here?"

"I'm not yanking your chain, or pulling your leg, or anything else. Now, don't you have a job to do?"

"Yes, sir." Danny grinned, turned to go, then paused. "How'd you figure it out, anyway?"

Mac laughed. "Let me tell you something, Danny. When you give a woman a hickey, she generally tries to give you one back. And matching hickeys? Very, very unsubtle."

A/N: Next word is travel.


	20. T

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Oh, my goodness! I'm finally updating! Sorry bout all this, really. It's just... they have them in limbo again and it's killing my muse. Like, would it have killed them for Lindsay to show up at the bar where Danny and Flack were playing pool? Anyhow, thanks for those of you still reading the story. I'll try to be more timely next time.

**Travel**

He didn't even stop to consider if she'd want him there, really. On some level he hoped, but mostly he felt like he needed to be there, if only to reassure himself that she was gonna be fine.

He wasn't a big fan of planes, as a general rule, but anything that would get him to Montana (the state or the woman) faster was all right with him. He endured small children crying, a dog barking in the cargo hold beneath him, and being hit on by three flight attendents (one of them male). He ignored the pretzels that they handed out, staring out the window waiting for the wheat fields she'd promised him.

He hadn't checked a bag, just stuffed some clothes into an old backpack and carried it with him. It was early morning by the time he got off the plane, and he knew there was just enough time to get to court before Lindsay had to testify (she'd sent Mac her schedule).

As he used his badge to get past the security guards at the courthouse (he'd forgotten and brought along his piece, and it was a sign of how out of his mind over Lindsay he was that he'd resorted to flashing his badge instead of just handing it over till he left), he realized that it was the first real vacation he'd taken in years that didn't involve staying with his mother.

And as he stepped into the courtroom and met her eyes, he decided travel was a beautiful thing.

A/N: Next word is unforgetable.


	21. U

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Getting near the end. Keep up the reviews, please, because they boost my self esteem. But no, I am NOT holding this story for ransom. I just would like to make that clear. Anyhow, hope you enjoy this latest update.

**Unforgettable**

He prided himself on never forgetting a face.

Not only was it important in his line of work (because you never knew when someone you interviewed might end up either dead or on a surveillance tape somewhere, or a random guy on the street might pull out a gun), but it was vital when you were the kind of player he was.

Not that he slept with a different girl every night, but he'd dated enough that it was handy to be able to remember the details of each of their faces so he didn't accidentally call one by a similar-looking one's name when he wasn't thinking.

Ok, so that made him sound like scum, but really, he wasn't.

It scared him how easily the faces of every woman he'd ever dated blurred together and disappeared when she walked into the room. It worried him that her smile could make him forget the face of the current perp (once when he was interrogating the guy; not a fun experience).

He knew, on some level, that he'd never be able to forget her. Everything about her, from her hair to her accent to the cowboy boots she pulled out on occasion had burned themselves indelibly into his memory. And when he was lying in bed next to her, listening to the sound of her gentle breathing as she sprawled across his chest, he realized that he couldn't bring himself to care whether he couldn't remember most of his life before he met her.

It hadn't been worth much, anyway.

A/N: Next word is Venus.


	22. V

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: This plot gerbil grabbed my butt and wouldn't let go until I found a way to work it into this story. Since I had already used G and therefore couldn't use Goddess, it snuck in on Venus. Venus and Aphrodite are the Roman and Greek names for the goddess of love and lust. Juno was the Roman queen of the gods, and Athena was the Greek goddess of logic, strategy, war, and wisdom. Enjoy.

**Venus**

"You have to realize that you are in power!" The relationship guru whose office they were processing fluttered around on the other side of the crime scene tape that stretched across the door. "Take control! Release your inner Venus, your inner Aphrodite!"

"Control?" Danny snorted. "Montana, do I control you?"

"Not if you value your reproductive capabilities." She stopped to smile sweetly. "What do you think? Have I released my inner Venus?"

"More like your inner Athena. Or your inner Juno."

"Aw, thanks, city boy." She leaned over her case to kiss him softly on the cheek. "That's the sweetest thing you could have said."

"Welcome, Montana."

They continued with their work, ignoring the flustered sputtering just outside the door. Their relationship was just fine, thank you very much.

A/N: Next word is Wonderful.


	23. W

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: My first year of college started. That's my only excuse. Set during Snow Day.

**Wonderful**

At that particular moment, she was as beautiful as he'd ever seen her. The edge of the pool table was ridiculously uncomfortable, but he didn't want to move. She'd already drifted off again, so he just watched her sleep.

He'd given in once to the urge to poke the end of that adorable nose. He had to fight to keep his hands to himself, worried that if he let himself touch her he'd wake her up. Her hair spilled over his chest like silk, and he appreciated it even as he cursed himself mentally for using such a cliche.

Asleep, she showed no signs of the strain that the trial had stamped into her features, the lines that still remained after all this time. Asleep, she curled into him, trusting him to guard her and wake her in time for her shift.

The corner of his lip quirked at that. Well, he wouldn't be waking her, but that wasn't because he was going to let her oversleep, just... sleep in. So maybe she would wake up with him gone, and find a note, but it wasn't going to be in the bad way that she'd obviously been dreaming.

He draped an arm across her and grinned up at the ceiling. So he'd get a little less sleep than he'd expected. It didn't matter, because this? This knowing that she didn't regret what had happened and was dreaming of him (in whatever form)? This was wonderful.

A/N: Next word is Xenophobic


	24. X

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: Ok, so the last time I didn't use the word in the story, many people were confused. So here's the definition of Xenophobic: it means fear of outsiders of fear of foreigners and all things strange or foreign. So unless you didn't read my authors note, this WILL make sense.

**Xenophobic**

The first time he caught her staring at his mouth, he thought she wanted to kiss him (and he was more than happy to oblige her, but he didn't want to get slapped). It wasn't until after they got together that he asked her about it.

"I'm trying to learn your accent." She grinned. "Plus, it's such a _nice_ mouth."

"Don't try to distract me, Montana. Why do you want my accent?" He leered playfully at her. "Yours is just fine."

"Because I hate sounding like I don't belong." She shrugged. "Some people are rude, some ignore me, and some thing I'm an easy target because I'm not from around here."

He opened his mouth to deny the idea, stopped, thought, and closed it. She had a point. In a town with thousands of tourists, it was easy to mistake a soft western drawl for implying a lot of stuff that it didn't necessarily mean, like that she had no idea about life in a big city and might be easy to con.

"Ok, here's the deal. I teach you to talk like me on one condition."

"What's that?"

He leaned in to kiss her, grinning. "When nobody's around, you talk like Montana. Cause I gotta tell you, your accent is hot."

A/N: Next word is Yell.


	25. Y

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: I just rewatched Sleight of Hand, and this came to me for an eppy-tag. It's kinda long. Read and review, please. And OMG, it's almost over! I've been thinking about doing another one. Any thoughts on what pairing/show I should write it for? Or if I should write it at all?

**Yell**

She'd asked her parents not to come to court, because she hadn't wanted to break down in front of them. She was worried that the love and support they offered would be her undoing on the stand.

Funny, but his did the opposite.

They'd made it out to the car she was using and she'd driven them somewhere where they could sit on the hood and look at a wheat field (because it was calming, and because he needed the proper appreciation for it before they went back to the city).

"You can yell at me now if you'd like."

He looked at her quizzically. "Why would I yell at you, Montana?"

"I was so horrible to you." She turned sad eyes on him, eyes that made him want to kiss her until she smiled again.

"Hey, come here." He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into the side of his body. "Just tell me one thing. When did you find out that they'd arrested the bastard?"

"The day I was supposed to meet you for dinner." She closed her eyes against the memory.

"See? I have no need to yell. I mean, yeah, I wish you'd let me in on this a little sooner, but I understand why you didn't. Don't worry about it." He kissed the top of her head.

"Danny?"

"Yeah, Linds?"

"Can we try your... spending time together and having a few laughs idea?"

She sounded so tentative his heart melted all over again. He slid both arms firmly around her waist and shifted her so she was standing right in front of him. "Now, shhh. I'm try to watch the wheat."

A/N: Next word will be Zero. Yes, you all think it should be zoo, but look at the title, hmm?


	26. Z

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: This is rather bittersweet for me. When I post this, I'll change the status to complete. I still haven't decided if I'll write another one, or for what. On a side note, why do they always do this to us? They made them canon, now they barely spend any time onscreen together. One, maybe two scenes! It's annoying as anything. That said, please, enjoy the last chapter of my mini-epic, and any lurkers out there, I'd love to know what you thought of it all. Here goes.

**Zero**

Number of times he pictured her, smiling and happy again for a brief moment, on his way home the day he made the impulsive flight to Montana? Ten.

Number of dresses she discarded before settling on the one she wore for their first anniversary date? Nine.

Number of presents he bought her in the first two months of their relationship, just because she was his and he wanted her to know how much that meant? Eight.

Number of times she put her hand to her lips in the first hour after their first kiss? Seven.

Number of times he tried to get her to kiss him in the lab before he realized that if he waited, she'd more than reward him? Six.

Number of blind dates she rejected before breaking down and telling Stella she was already quite happily taken, thank you very much? Five.

Number of vacation days he used to see her through the trial and the recovery of equilibrium that followed? Four.

Number of times she managed to tell him she loved him before he kissed her senseless? Three.

Number of times he let her apologize for his injuries before he couldn't take it and distracted her? Two.

Number of times she had to think about it when he asked her to marry him? One.

Number of people who were happier and better suited? Zero. And that, as they say, was that.


End file.
